First F-16 Fighter Jet Delivered to Taiwan from US
Taiwan Receives First Batch of F-16C/D Block 70 Jets from the US
Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei and Representative to the US Alexander Yui recently attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina.
The United States Representative William Timmons expressed pride in being the global home of the F-16 and in supporting Taiwan’s air defense capabilities. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets ordered by Taiwan have the same capabilities as the upgraded F-16Vs.
These Lockheed Martin fighter jets will be used by the 7th Tactical Fighter Wing, a new air force unit responsible for defending Taiwan’s eastern region. President William Lai had previously mentioned that two out of three tactical groups in the unit were prepared and waiting for the delivery of these jets.
The F-16C/D Block 70 is expected to be the final model of Lockheed Martin F-16s, as the US Air Force and its allies transition to F-35 stealth fighters. The key features of the F-16C/D Block jets include advanced technology such as AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned arrays, AN/ALQ-254(V)1 all-digital electronic warfare suites, and new mission computers and cockpits.
These fighters have the capability to fire air-to-air missiles like AIM-120 and AIM-9, as well as various ground attack munitions. The ground-attack weapons of the F-16C/D include anti-radiation missiles, GPS-guided bombs, and the long-range AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon glide bombs, which are among Taiwan’s latest acquisitions.
The delivery of these F-16C/D Block 70 jets marks a significant milestone in enhancing Taiwan’s air defense capabilities and strengthening its military partnership with the United States.
